Socket construction for electronic devices



Feb. 8, 1955 HOBSON 2,701,869

SOCKET CONSTRUCTION FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICES Filed June 15, 1951' 1NVENTOR.

WW w United States Patent SOCKET CONSTRUCTION FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICESErvin J. Hob'son, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Hobson Brothers, Chicago,11L, a partnership Application June 15, 1951, Serial No. 231,725

4 Claims. (Cl. 339-193) The present invention pertains to an improvedsocket construction for electronic devices such as television picturetubes, amplifier and other type tubes, and related units which aremounted by a pin and socket connection. Although the improvedconstruction has particular utility in connection with a picture tubeequipped with an external coil, which coil is to be electricallyconnected to electrode means within the tube envelope, the improvementsare by no means limited to such an external coil installation. On thecontrary, they have quite wide adaptability for association with anyelectronic device of the type having electrical connector prongs or pinswhich it is desired to removably engage with a female socket receptacle.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved socketconstruction for such a device in the form of an insulating base havingmeans for unvaryingly receiving the base of an electronic or equivalentelement in a predetermined telescoped and angularly oriented relation,which base is provided with a series of circumferentially arrangedsocket recesses of a particular outline, together with improvedsleeve-like socket contacts mounted in said recesses to receive withimproved electrical efficiency the contact pins of the electronic orequivalent element.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a socketconstruction of the foregoing type in which the socket base isfabricated of a material having high dielectric value and is providedwith one or more specially shaped socket recesses extending from oneface thereof only partially therethrough, and in which split tubularcontact sleeves are inserted in the recess or recesses and firmlyanchored therein by means of a special locking prong adjoining the splitand embeddingly engaging the base.

Yet another object is to provide a socket construction of the sortdescribed in the preceding paragraph, in which the socket recess has alateral extension in restricted communication therewith to receive aninsulated lead wire, and in which the terminal of the wire is passedthrough the restriction, being engaged with the contact sleeve adjacentthe rear of the recess.

A still further object is to provide a multiple contact socketconstruction of the foregoing description in which the contact sleevesreferred to are of a size, shape, number and circumferential spacing tofrictionally receive any number of contact pins with complete insuranceagainst short circuiting.

A still further object is to provide an improved conducting socketsleeve for a socket construction as aforesaid, which sleeve is elongatedand of generally triangular cross section outline, and is longitudinallyslit to enable the same to frictionally engage a contact pin or prongunder substantial spring tension, the sleeve being further provided withlaterally spread anchoring points at one extremity and adjoining thesplit thereof which embeddingly engage a socket base recess into whichthe element is inserted.

The foregoing statements are indicative in a general way of the natureof the invention. Other and more specific objects will be apparent tothose skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the constructionand operation of the device.

A single embodiment of the invention is presented herein for purpose ofillustration, and it will be appreciated that the invention may beincorporated in other modified forms coming equally within the scope ofthe appended claims.

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In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation showing the improvedsocket with the base of a conventional television picture tube mountedin operative relation thereto;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view further illustratingthe meeting faces of the socket and tube base, together with theelectrical socket connections and the base contact pins associatedrespectively therewith;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the inner face of the socket, generallyindicating the relationship of certain conducting leads, the socket baseand the improved socket elements of the construction;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in longitudinal section through the axis ofthe socket, on a line corresponding to line 44 of Fig. 3, more clearlyillustrating the specific {)elationship of wire lead, socket sleeveelement and socket Figs. 5 and 6, are, respectively, face and sideelevational views of the improved socket sleeve, per se;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the socket sleeve and its integral struckout anchoring provisions; and

Fig. 8 is a view in transverse section through the socket sleeve alonglines 8-8 of Fig. 5, showing a further detail of the socket element.

Fig. 1 illustrates generally an electronic cathode ray tube or picturetube 10 of the electrostatic type. It is for the purpose of furnishingvoltage to the internal electrodes of a tube of this sort, or in fact toany known type of evacuated or gas filled electronic tube, or equivalentelement, that the improved socket construction of the invention isintended. The socket construction is generally designated 11 and isshown in Fig. 1 in operative tube mounting relation to the usual baseassembly 12 of such a tube, whereby to furnish an energizing voltagefrom an external source or sources through insulated conducting leads 13to certain electrodes and the like (not shown) which are disposed inentirely conventional arrangement within the envelope 14 of tube 10. Itis evident that the socket construction 11 is also well adapted for themounting of condensers and other electrical devices, in addition toelectronic tubes.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, the base assembly 12 of tube 10 is of a wellknown design. It is provided with an integral central, axially extendingpilot post or stud 15 of generally cylindrical outline, which stud inturn carries an elongated, integral positioning key 16 paralleling itsaxis. Conducting contact prongs or pins 17 are provided on base 12 inpredetermined circumferential arrangement, in accordance with theparticular type of tube or other unit 10 which is involved. Thesematters are well understood by those skilled in the art.

The socket construction 11 includes an annular base ring or body 18 ofinsulating material, the bore 19 of which is of sufficient diameter tofrictionally receive the stud 15 of tube 10 with a snug though readilyremovable fit. Bore 19 is provided with a keyway 20 of a size tosimilarly receive the key 15. The engagement of key and keywaypredeterminedly orients the tube prongs 17 relative to socket 11, in theangular sense.

Socket base ring 18 is provided with a series of circumferentiallyspaced recesses 21 of special outline. In the illustrated embodimentthese are in a number in excess of the number of actual socketconnections which are required for the servicing of tube 10. Thus astandard socket, recessed in uniformly spaced circumferential order, isadapted to the socket requirements of different tubes or other devicesin which, as indicated above, the number and arrangement of connectorprongs 17 is apt to vary. It happens that the tube 10 which isillustrated has a base prong, specially designated 17', which isintended to handle heavy wattage, hence this prong is spacedsubstantially from the other prongs 17 and the socket contact sleevereceiving the same, to be described, will be correspondingly spaced fromother sleeves.

Figs. 2 and 3 show an illustrative installation involving a relativelylarge number of recesses 21 in the base ring 18, uniformly spaced in thecircumferential sense and only part of which are occupied by socketcontacts. This is one of the features of the invention. However, theparticular number of recesses 21 which are selected for use in any giveninstallation, and the relative circumferential spacing of the socketsleeves in the selected recesses, are not factors in the presentinvention. Other than in the provision of an excess of socket recesses,the invention concerns itself solely with structural details of the basering 18, the socket sleeve elements to be described, and therelationship of these parts relative to one another.

The socket sleeves, generally designated by the reference numeral 23,are illustrated in Figs. 5 through 8, and their installed relation tosocket base ring 18 is shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Each thereof is in theform of an elongated tubular conducting member, preferably fabricated ofa rectangular blank of spring brass about .010 inch thick, the sleevemember having a cross sectional shape which is approximately anequilateral triangle, see Figs. 7 and 8. Opposed edges of the blankwhich forms the body 24 of the sleeve are separated throughout itslength by a longitudinal slit 25 coinciding with an apex of thetriangular section. The extreme upper portions of the body adjoining theslit 25 are spread outwardly to provide divergent prong guide and sleeveanchoring ears 26, one on either side of the slit 25. The latter rendersbody 24 flexible and spring-like in character. The internal spacing ofits three walls is such that it has a close frictional fit about thepins or prongs 17 or 17', thus exerting a very snug frictional grip onthe prong and constituting a very eflicient electrical contact orconnection therebetween.

On the side thereof opposite the slit or split 25, the body 24 of socketsleeve 23 is slitted at 27 in an H- shaped outline to permit small lugs28 to be bent outwardly in opposed parallel relation to one another.These lugs are adapted to be clamped or soldered to the stripped end 32of the insulated lead or conductor wire 13.

The socket base ring recesses 21 are of double-ended or dumbbell shapedoutline, including enlarged, generally circular outer and inner endportions or bays 29, 30, respectively, and a connecting slot 31 which isof restricted width, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Recesses 21 arepreferably arranged radially of the socket ring bore 19. The depththereof is less than the face-to-face thickness of the base ring, asillustrated clearly in Fig. 4, and the sleeves 23 have a length lessthan the depth of the recesses. They are thrust into the innermostportion of the latter, with slit 25 facing inwardly, until they engagethe bottom of the respective recesses. Conductor 13, secured by itsstripped end 32 to the sleeve, is inserted in the outer bay 29 of therecess and the stripped end extends through the intermediate slot 31 ofthe recess. This slot may also accommodate the lugs 28.

In assembling the sleeves 23 to base ring 18 the former exertsubstantial friction against the wall of the recess bay 30 as theelements are thrust longitudinally into abutment with the base of therecess. When fully inserted, the resilient, pointed guide and anchoringcars 26 tend to expand and embed themselves in the material of basering, and when the tube base prongs 17, 17' are initially inserted intothe respective socket sleeves, these cars are forced even more stronglyinto embedded relation to the base. By the same token the effectivenessof the frictional grip maintained on prongs 17, 17 by the sleeves isenhanced by the embedded relation, tending to compress the resilientsplit sleeve section.

In addition to anchoring the sleeves, ears 26 function as spread outguides to facilitate the entry of prongs into proper electricallyconducting relation to the socket elements.

The foregoing construction provides a socket of Wide utility, featuringan arrangement in which the leads connected to the socket contacts areled into the socket base from the same direction that the prongs of thetube 10 are inserted. The unit is very compact and inexpensive, in thatthe sleeves 23 may be very inexpensively formed and assembled to basering 18 by mass production machinery, and it enables any desired socketsleeve spacing to be set up at will. When properly assembled asdescribed, the embedded sleeves 23 are in what amounts to a unitaryrelation to the insulating base, for a very efficient electrical contactwith the prongs 17,

I claim:

1. A socket construction comprising an insulating support of integral,one-piece construction and of annular shape and predetermined thickness,said support having a recess extending from one axial side face thereofonly partially therethrough, said recess being of uniform crosssectional outline throughout the axial length thereof and comprisinglaterally spaced, enlarged end portions and an intermediate portion ofrestricted width communicating said end portions with one another, anelongated contact sleeve frictionally engaged over a substantial part ofthe length thereof in one end portion of said recess, said sleeveextending into said recess substantially the entire length thereof, anelectrical conductor arranged in the other end portion of said recesswith the terminal thereof disposed in the intermediate portion of therecess, and means securing said terminal at its end in electricalcontact with said sleeve, the material of said support sealing off theend of said recess adjacent said conductor end.

2. A socket construction comprising an insulating support of integral,one-piece construction and of annular shape and predetermined thickness,said support having a recess extending from one axial side face thereofonly partially therethrough, said recess being of uniform crosssectional outline throughout the axial length thereof and comprisinglaterally spaced, enlarged end portions and an intermediate portion ofrestricted width communicating said end portions with one another, anelongated contact sleeve of longitudinally split cross sectional outlinewhich is frictionally engaged over a substantial part of the lengththereof in one end portion of said recess, said sleeve extending intosaid recess substantially the entire length thereof, an electricalconductor arranged in the other end portion of said recess with theterminal thereof disposed in the intermediate portion of the recess, andmeans securing said terminal at its end in electrical contact with saidsleeve, the material of said support sealling off the end of said recessadjacent said conductor en 3. A socket construction comprising aninsulating support of integral, one-piece construction and of annularshape and predetermined thickness, said support having a recessextending from one axial side face thereof only partially therethrough,said recess being of uniform cross sectional outline throughout theaxial length thereof and comprising laterally spaced, enlarged endportions and an intermediate portion of restricted width communicatingsaid end portions with one another, an elongated contact sleeve oflongitudinally split cross sectional outline which is frictionallyengaged over a substantial part of the length thereof in one end portionof said recess, said sleeve extending into said recess substantially theentire length thereof, said contact sleeve being provided with anoutwardly divergent anchoring element adjacent the split therein whichhas embedding engagement with the material of said support, anelectrical conductor arranged in the other end portion of said recesswith the terminal thereof disposed in the intermediate portion of therecess, and means securing said terminal at its end in electricalcontact with said sleeve, the material of said support sealing off theend of said recess adjacent said conductor end.

4. A socket construction in accordance with claim 1, in which saidelectrical conductor is received in said other recess end portion fromthe face of said support to which said recess opens.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,905,245 Rowley Apr. 25, 1933 1,911,612 Eckstein May 30, 1933 2,168,382Alden Aug. 8, 1939 2,266,530 Andren Dec. 16, 1941 2,283,040 BrinkmannMay 12, 1942 2,291,434 Hollopeter July 28, 1942 2,307,812 Wade Jan. 12,1943 2,340,062 Kulka J an. 25, 1944 2,384,273 Beal Sept. 4, 19452,414,143 Dunning Jan. 14, 1947 2,430,159 Chenier Nov. 4, 1947 2,563,775Del Camp Aug. 7, 1951 2,567,829 Suthann Sept. 11, 1951 2,609,414Weisberg Sept. 2, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 628,359 Great Britain Aug. 26,1949

